The Secret Life of Clare Edwards, Part One
by DrewWantsEli'sBread
Summary: One thing is very important that you remember:     Eli Goldsworthy is the only person to call Clare 'Curly'.


She couldn't remember where she was.

She couldn't remember how long she'd been asleep.  
>Or who she was with.<p>

But there was someone lying in the bed next to her.  
>Someone warm and familiar.<br>Someone who smelled like cigarettes and fresh nail polish.

Clare rolled out from under the sheets and turned around. There she saw the one thing she was most keen on staying away from. The one he had warned her about. The one with the hearse and solid black wardrobe.

Eli Goldsworthy.

She screamed and Eli woke with a start. He looked at her in shock, then his trademark smirk crossed his devilish face. The very same smirk which had convinced Clare to go out with him the night before, even though she told Drew she would be staying in to finish reading her book. She hated to lie to him, but Eli just made her feel so alive. Eli was the excitement in her otherwise bland life.

"Wh-what are you doing here?" she yelled across the room. As it turns out, she was only in her underwear. At this realization, she gasped and reached for her clothes. Eli stared at her as she dressed, and finally he said "I'm here because you asked me to be."

Clare was confused. She had a pounding headache and couldn't remember anything about last night. She wanted to cry, wanted to scream, wanted to drown her sorrows in whiskey.

She wanted to die.

"I don't know what you're talking about..." she muttered. "I was home all night reading, just like I told Drew."

"Oh really now?" Eli sneered back. "Because this hickey on my neck says differently." He smirked and got out of bed. To Clare's dismay, he was entirely naked. "Put some pants on, Eli! Jesus Christ!"

Eli turned and laughed. "I'm sorry, is this bothering you? Here, let me just put these on..."  
>He picked up a pair of Clare's gym shorts and put them on. He smiled at Clare and said "There, better?"<p>

"No Eli. Not better. Get dressed and get out, now. Drew will be here any minute and if he catches us like this, he'll kill us both."

"Relax Curly, he'll never know I was here!" Eli said as he half-heartedly made his way around Clare's room finding his belongings. "Have you seen my necklace?"

"No Eli, I haven't. It doesn't matter. If I find it I'll call you, okay? Just get out, please!" Clare chimed back, annoyed that Eli was still flitting around like a bee on a posy.

Eli Goldworthy wasn't the type of guy Clare had normally associated with. Since Alli and Dave had run off to Vegas and had their shotgun wedding she only had Drew and Imogen to talk to. It was like Clare didn't exist anymore. Jenna and K.C. had their wedding last year and now had another son on the way. This time they wouldn't give him away. Francis was the name they had picked out, Francis Michael Guthrie. Wesley and Hannah went to space in the final shuttle to be sent up, and never made it back to Earth. The day the Mariner exploded reentering the Earth's atmosphere was the last time Clare had seen her high school friends together in the same place. She remembered seeing Mr. Simpson and Emma comforting Connor as he paid his respects to his fallen best friend. She remembered feeling remorseful for not being more of a friend to the two boys back in Grade 10.

After graduation, Owen had joined the military with Anya and they were on their third deployment. Holly J. and Declan bought an apartment together in New York, and Fiona visited them whenever she could. Bianca went on all of Adam's business trips with him so he wouldn't get lonely. Adam had begun his own video game corporation and was the C.E.O. of the Toronto branch. Katie and Marisol got kicked out of college after the dean accidentally ate one of Marisol's pot brownies and Katie took the blame. They got a house together and now work at The Dot full time. Sav and Mo were discovered by a big-time music producer and now live in Hollywood performing their original collabs at clubs every other night.

However, none of this mattered to Clare anymore. Not since Drew Torres came into her life. Clare and Drew first got together after she invited him to her prom. He was hesitant at first, because of what happened to Adam at his own, but he obliged after a few days thought. It was the final dance, a slow song, when their eyes met and sparks flew. From that moment on, the song that was playing was their song. This was also the night they shared their first kiss. When their lips met, it was like the world disappeared and nothing mattered anymore. In that one little kiss they knew they had found the one they wanted to spend the rest of their lives with, and so it began.

After high school the happy couple went to Toronto University together, however Drew flunked out due to his problems with math. Even after Clare tutored him every night before doing her own work, it just wasn't enough to help him. They had an apartment together but since his college plans hadn't worked out, Drew got a morning shift at a local grocery store. He worked five days a week, open to noon, for just over minimum wage. It was enough to keep them above water, but they lived simply. They learned to be Minimalists in order to stay inside their budget, but Clare was happy just to be with him.

* * *

><p>Clare watched out the window as Eli got into Morty and drove away. Not four minutes later, Drew pulled up. Clare met him at the door and pulled him in tight. She wanted to forget about the morning she'd had with Eli, but at the same time, she wanted to remember how they had ended up in bed together.<p>

"You're awfully cuddly today! Is everything alright?"

Drew spoke softly, but he was strong. He always knew how to make Clare's heart race. Everything he said made her smile, for his voice soothed her body and mind. There was always an underlying joking tone to Drew's voice, but it didn't bother Clare because when he needed to be serious, he was.

"Umm, yeah." Clare began. "I'm okay. I just missed you is all."  
>"Well aren't you a little sweetheart! I missed you too, beautiful."<br>And then he kissed her.

"Have you had any breakfast yet?" Drew asked, intent to find out what was bothering Clare so much.

Breakfast had never occurred to Clare, as she had been too busy shooing the Prince of Darkness away from the moment she'd awoken. Suddenly she was so hungry she could've eaten a whole cow. She never spent much time thinking of herself, it was always about what Drew wanted or what was best for Drew.

Clare was lost in thought as usual when Drew repeated his question.  
>"Pumpkin? Have you eaten yet?"<p>

Clare snapped back to reality.  
>"What? Oh. Oh, no, I haven't. Feel free to make something, I'll be in soon."<p>

Drew made his way into the kitchen after kissing Clare on the cheek. He intended to make a grand breakfast for the two of them in the hopes it would cheer up the only thing that mattered to him. His secret weapon was bacon, eggs, toast, pancakes, and her favorite fruit salad. It always made Clare happy when Drew did things like this. She reveled in the fact that he cared about her so much. Yet, today it just wasn't going to be enough, for she knew she had cheated on Drew last night with Eli. She knew when the time came, she would break his heart. She was all too familiar with the post-breakup loneliness.

Clare stood on the porch looking out into the distance, thinking, trying to remember.

Had she asked Eli to go out with her last night?  
>Had she invited Eli to come back to the house?<br>Had she and Eli done the one thing Drew had yet to do with Clare?

Her mind reeled as she flung herself deep into thoughts of the previous evening. Suddenly, she remembered something. Drew had called to check up on her since he was staying with Bianca and Adam for the night. She told him she would be staying in and finishing her book, and then going to bed by eleven. After getting off the phone with Drew, she'd received a text from Eli asking if she wanted to do something. This struck her as odd, as he had only ever glanced at her before. Since she didn't want to lie to Drew, she told Eli no. Next thing she knew, Eli was at her door. She opened it and he walked in without a word, turned to face her, and smirked. "Come now, Curly. You don't want to sit here all night like a loser, do you? We'll go get a drink and talk, that's it. I promise."

Clare's thoughts were interrupted when Drew called out to her, "Clare honey, food's ready!"  
>"Be right there, baby!" she called back, as she walked into the house and closed the door behind her.<p>

* * *

><p>They ate in silence.<p>

He stared at her.  
>She stared at the floor.<br>No one said a word.

Finally, the silence was too much for Drew to bear. He asked, "So, how was the ending of that book?"  
>"Good." Clare lied.<br>"...good." Drew said dejectedly.

When they had both finished their food, Drew jumped at the chance to get up from the table. He grabbed all the dishes and began to put them in the sink. "Here, let me help you with those..." Clare offered. Drew immediately objected. "No no, it's fine. There aren't that many. It's fine! I'll do them. You just go relax."

Clare crossed to him, leaned over the counter island, and gave her love a kiss on the lips. As they parted,  
>she looked Drew in the eyes, gave him a reassuring smile, and said "I love you sweetheart. I'll be alright. Promise." He smiled back and kissed her on the nose, making her blush.<p>

Clare thought to herself. Maybe a nice, hot bath would make her feel better. This however was her fatal mistake. She went into her bedroom, undressed, and began brushing her curls out. She reached for her robe and as she picked it up from the bed, something fell to the ground.

Eli's necklace.

She picked it up and hid it in her underwear drawer. Then she put on her robe and made her way across her room to the bathroom. As she did this, she felt something hard under her feet. She looked down to find that Eli had also left his ring lying on the floor. She picked it up and put it in the drawer along with his necklace.

Clare walked into the bathroom and turned on the water. As it started to steam up, she poured the bubble solution in; it smelled like vanilla, just as she remembered her mother's perfume. She took off her robe, turned off the water, and stepped in, letting the warmth and comfort take over. Bubble baths were Clare's favorite thing in the world, even before Drew. When she was in high school she would come home and take a bubble bath every night. It was a place where she could relax and think, and right now, that was the only thing she wanted to do.

She leaned her head back and closed her eyes, head reeling once again. She tried to pick up where she left off when Drew interrupted her. As she struggled to remember what had happened after Eli showed up asking to take her out, something else came to her mind; Adam's voicemail from last night.

Clare jumped out of the tub, threw on her robe, and headed for the door. Then, something shining in the light caught her eye. She couldn't believe it - Eli's bracelet. She was completely baffled as to how he had managed to leave his things all around the house without her noticing.

She tried to forget about it by heading back into her room and getting dressed. She found her phone and dialed the number for her voicemail. Then, it began:

"Uhh, hey, Clare? It's Adam. Just wanted to let you know Drew made it okay. He's in the middle of stuffing his face right now, so he asked me to call instead. *shuffling sound, then a door slams* Okay, for real though. Eli made me swear not to tell but I can't do that to you and Drew. My brother is finally happy, damn it. So here it goes... Eli's going to make it look like you're cheating on Drew, then he's going to spike your drink, take you home, fuck you, then leave. It's his way of getting back at Drew for taking Imogen away from him in Grade 12. He's still not over it. So be careful, please. DO NOT GO OUT WITH ELI TONIGHT. I gotta go, B's getting impatient. Just take my advice and everything will be alright."

* * *

><p>Clare sat on her bed in shock. Had Eli really spiked her drink? Did Drew notice his belongings strewn about the house? Why didn't Eli leave like Adam said he would? Clare's head was still pounding like it was when she woke up, but now, she was dizzy too. Drew knocked on her door and she jumped, dropping her phone.<p>

"Clare? Is everything alright in there? I saw the tub was still full of water and I got worried." Drew called through the door.

Clare shook her head clear and came back to Earth. "Yeah, I just forgot something. I'm okay." she replied.

At this point Drew knew something was going on. He slowly opened the door and came into the room. He sat down on the bed next to her, picked up her phone from the floor, and placed it on the bedside table. "Clare, I know you're lying to me. I can see it in your eyes. You've never lied to me about anything before, why now? You know you can always talk to me... Please, pumpkin?"

Drew only called Clare pumpkin when he was being sincere. She looked him in the eyes and saw how much he loved her, just from the look in his eyes. And the truth of the matter was that she loved him too, with everything she had. She had waited so long for them to be together, waited so long to ask him out, waited so long to hold him in her arms...

And now, in one night, it was crumbling right before her eyes. Why hadn't she listened to Adam's voicemail? Why did she go out with Eli in the first place? How much longer would she be able to hide it from Drew before he found out on his own?

It was after all this that Clare made her decision. She would forget about what happened with Eli. All that mattered was her relationship with Drew, and what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him. Someday she would let him in on all her secrets she was too afraid to tell him, but that day was not today.

She sat there looking at Drew for a long time. She looked at his eyes, how beautifully blue they were... They were irresistible to her. Every time he looked her in the eyes, her heart skipped a beat at their beauty.

Next, she looked at his hair. How she loved to run her fingers through it when they kissed. Or when they cuddled, the way he put his head on her shoulder in just the right spot for her to smell his shampoo, that comforting smell that she longed for so much. The way it looks when he wakes up, the way it sticks up in every direction, the way he gels it up into a mohawk to make Clare laugh... She was glad he hadn't cut it like Imogen had advised him to. She loved it just the way it was.

Finally, she studied Drew's mouth and the rest of his face. They had been together for nearly four years now, and in those four years, the kisses they shared were innumerable. She remembered their first kiss, the one at prom. The way he'd looked at her, the way she'd looked at him... Drew had a stern looking face, but it was soft in a way that most boy's faces weren't. He let Clare in and it showed on his face how much he cared for her.

Clare was absolutely crazy about Drew. They had agreed to wait until the time was right to share what they both wanted too much to speak of, but they agreed that time makes the heart grow fonder, so they waited. Right now at this moment, though, was Clare's moment of realization. That this was their moment. The time had come and Drew saw Clare's expression change. Then, he understood as well.

He'd begun to protest but Clare was already too much for him to handle. His wall of seriousness crumbled when she gave him her signature "don't let me go" look. She kissed him all down the right side of his face and up the other. She kissed his arms, his legs, and any other base skin she could see. Then, they helped undress each other.

First Drew took off Clare's shirt. She was beginning to feel more self-conscious, as this was the most skin she had ever shown Drew. He flashed her a reassuring smile as he removed his shirt as well. This, however, Clare was used to. He always worked out shirtless and it turned her on more than anything else could. At this, she ripped his pants off and started kissing him more passionately than she knew she was capable of. Clare was surprised that he was so calm about the way she was acting. She was expecting him to want to take it slower and make sure she was comfortable, but she guessed he was just so sick of waiting, he wanted to enjoy every second of it.

After some time of making out, Clare slipped out to the bathroom to give herself a final pep talk and make sure she looked good enough for the love of her life. She brushed her hair out, took her makeup off, and brushed her teeth, although she wasn't sure what good it would do at this point. She looked at herself in the mirror. She wasn't half as scared as she looked, because she knew Drew would make her feel as comfortable as possible. She was the happiest she'd ever been simply because she knew she would be in the arms of the boy she loved the most, and she knew he loved her just as much back.

She slipped out of her original bra and panties and put on the special lingerie Drew had picked out for this exact occasion. She delicately walked back into her bedroom where Drew was also getting himself ready. From the minute she opened the door, Drew was ready. Her body drove him crazy, especially in the lacy outfit she was finally wearing.

He loved her curves and the way she flaunted them like it was no big deal. He loved her eyes, her smile, her hair, the way she giggled every time he tickled her feet. He loved the way her breath caught when he kissed her neck. The way she shivered as he ran his hands down her bare spine, the way she looked deep into his soul with every touch.

He whispered in her ear how much she turned him on and she laughed. Clare could never understand what Drew saw in her, but she was glad he saw something worth sticking around for. He kissed her nose, her lips, her eyes, her chin. He trailed his kisses down her jawline, then her neck, and stopped at her chest. He'd never felt so attracted to someone before and he wanted Clare too badly to keep waiting. He reached around and unhooked her bra as she started to turn red. Drew looked at her with wide eyes and merely whispered, "Wow."

Next thing she knew he was all over her. There was nothing that could tear them apart now, and Clare couldn't believe how incredible it felt. She never knew what true love felt like until this moment with Drew. The urgency in his kiss, the way his hands searched for her body, the look on his face when he discovers something new...

Then suddenly, Clare's worst nightmare came true.

"Hello Curly."


End file.
